July 29, 2007: An Indoor Picnic

"meat" pies as well as party-sized non-sausage rolls as well as had a scandalize of Chinese-style barbeque sauce at the ready (for the record, the pies are easily veganised as well as there's been to a greater extent than or less give-and-take of tweaking the sausage rolls alongside silken tofu).

The pastries were truly the primary number of this meal, as well as they drew the appreciative comments, but I knew I had to feed my guests to a greater extent than or less veges too. Pictured inwards a higher house isn't a distich of pear quarters, but truly to a greater extent than or less rosemary braised fennel. This recipe comes from Clotilde Dusoulier's outset mass Chocolate as well as Zucchini: Daily Adventures inwards a Parisian Kitchen. I've only borrowed the mass from the library as well as it's a cute every bit the blog (and every bit Clotilde herself, of course!). This dish had the advantages of complementing the faint whiff of rosemary inwards the pie filling as well as of existence served at room temperature, allowing me to laid upwardly it early.

The 2d side was composed of potatoes, leeks as well as artichokes - to a greater extent than or less other dish that tin simmer away inwards a pot long earlier guests acquire inwards as well as hence hold upwardly reheated only earlier serving. The recipe comes from the lovely ladies at Mondo Organics as well as is my favourite side dish for these pies. Leftovers tin hold upwardly wrapped upwardly inwards pastry themselves every bit to a greater extent than or less other wintertime meal.

While these sides are each first-class pastry partners, they ended upwardly existence rather similar inwards colouring as well as texture. I belike would direct maintain done a fighting amend to direct only 1 of them as well as hence rely on a crisp greenish salad for a fighting of lift. Live as well as learn, right? Luckily Jo-Lyn stepped inwards alongside to a greater extent than or less crisp, fresh hit - cucumbers, mint as well as fruit for Pimms all circular (pictured at the top)! This summery gesture was supported past times a generous serving of sunlight through our north-facing windows.

You know that whatever repast managed past times me would direct maintain to include dessert, but you'll direct maintain to human face until my side past times side postal service for that one. For now, yous only acquire a distich of novel vege recipes.

Rosemary braised fennel
(from Chocolate as well as Zucchini: Daily Adventures inwards a Parisian Kitchen past times Clotilde Dusoulier)

4 small-scale fennel bulbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 loving cup dry out white wine
1/2 loving cup stock
1 tablespoon lime juice

Cut the stalks off the fennel, quarter them as well as hence cutting to a greater extent than or less of the amount off - brand certain the 'leaves' are withal connected together.

In a large pan, oestrus most of the fossil oil over medium-high heat. Add close one-half of the fennel hence that they're non crowded up, as well as hence brownish them on each side. Leave 'em for a few minutes as well as don't hold upwardly likewise impatient! When the outset batch is done, transfer them to a plate as well as repeat alongside the remaining fossil oil as well as fennel.

Return all of the fennel to the pan, hence sprinkle it alongside the tabular array salt as well as rosemary. Add the wine, stock as well as lime juice, convey it to a simmer as well as cover. Turn the oestrus downwardly as well as create the fennel until tender, close 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid as well as create downwardly the liquid until it's syrupy. Clotilde reckons this volition alone accept close five minutes, but my fennel juice took at to the lowest degree fifteen minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.


Winter potatoes alongside artichokes, leeks as well as mint
(from a Mondo Organics newsletter)

1 x 400g tin artichoke hearts
500g potatoes, peeled
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dill
3/4 loving cup olive fossil oil (I'd advise reducing this to 1/2 cup)
1/2 loving cup "chicken" stock
300g leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons mint
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Place the outset vii ingredients inwards a large saucepan or casserole dish as well as simmer on depression heat, covered, for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir inwards the mint as well as lemon juice only earlier serving.

July 29, 2007: Cappuccino Cupcakes

indoor picnic, I baked a batch of Nigella Lawson's cappuccino cupcakes. This is solely the 2nd batch of cupcakes I've e'er attempted, yet they seemed merely the affair to relish on a checkered blanket inward the sun. It was mighty tempting to squad them amongst the espresso cupcakes on the facing page of the cookbook but amongst a concluding count of nine people inward attendance, it was to a greater extent than sensible to bound myself to merely the dozen.

I was hoping for a not-too-sweet java cake amongst bite, topped amongst something sweetness together with creamy, together with was curious to seek a cake batter that's made inward a nutrient processor. The method was equally convenient equally I'd hoped, but the flavours didn't quite alive upwardly to my expectations. The batter had a promising bitterness but it mellowed almost beyond recognition amongst baking. The icing, on the other hand, was the sweetest, sickliest affair I've encountered inward years but I approximate teaming icing carbohydrate amongst melted white chocolate volition produce that, eh? I didn't purpose upwardly the total quantity for fright of inflicting molar decay on my guests. Still, I actually similar the concept of these cakes together with I'd brand the batter in 1 lawsuit again amongst to a greater extent than or less extra coffee. The icing, on the other hand, needs a consummate overhaul: I mightiness endeavor a lightly sweetened cream cheese adjacent time.

Cappuccino cupcakes

cake:
125g self-raising flour
125g soft unsalted butter
125g castor sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped tablespoon instant java pulverisation (try two!)
2-3 tablespoons milk

icing:
160g white chocolate
60g butter
120g sour cream
260g icing sugar, sieved

cocoa powder, to dust

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Put all the cake ingredients except the milk into a nutrient processor together with whizz 'em upwardly until combined. With the motor nonetheless run, gradually add together milk until the batter is smoothen but thick. Arrange cupcake papers inward a muffin pan together with hence spoon the batter into the papers. Bake for well-nigh twenty minutes, cool inward the pan for five minutes together with hence on a wire rack.

Only offset the icing when the cupcakes are completely cold. Gently melt the white chocolate together with butter, hence allow it cool a little. Stir inward the sour cream. Sift together with stir inward the icing sugar. Nigella suggests a fighting of hot H2O or to a greater extent than icing carbohydrate if the icing's besides thick or thin. Spread the cakes amongst the icing together with dust them amongst cocoa.